Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-23

MhS- bhONN
called and sworn: have lived at Holli
days Cove all my life; Mrs. Swearingen il
my brothers daughter; she was visiting
me in May; on Monday, the ninth, We
started to make visit to Mrs. McWha's
drove, we went rather slowly; drove ovel
commons; the road is gravel and quits
stony; | remarked perhaps Mr.. Baker wa:
at home; looked and could see nobody
could see all over the commons anC
through the orchard; there were no leaves
on the trees; heard the bell ring very
plainly; sat on the porch some minutes
the second time We rang the bell very Wig
Orously; Mrs. Swearingen went around tn,
house and came back; We then returned
home and arrived there at ten minutes
past three; had known Mrs. Baker all her
life; we noticed some yeast on the porch
on the table; il was spread out to dry, SAW
hen with chickens running about In th'
yard; did not 20 with Mrs. Swearingen
when she started home.
Cross examination-Ws tied'the horse oil
the commons near the house; had dis
tinct view Of the commons; don't know
whether could see in the orchaid d from
there.
Redirect examination-Did not attemp,
to peer into the house; don't remember
seeing amp large chickens about the house
ALoNzo KNOX
was the next witness-l have resided al
Holidays Cove all my life; know VIM
Davidson, Nelson, and White; they com
menced living with me OH Monday, May
9th; | was ut the stable on Monday night
saw no one about the McWha house; 81 "
no light they were putting their horse,
away in the stable; they came down tc
my house about half past nine o'clock; OIL
Monday afternoon was about my place
saw the prisoner about three o'clock; he
WAS coming down over the hank with 9
satchel in his hand WAS in sight for about
forty Or fifty ieet
Cross examined not see Baker af
ter he got into the road; don't know which
way he went.
After the examination Of this witness
Court adjourned until afternoon.
The court room was crowded at the after
noon session. A very large number OF the
ladies from town and surrounding country
were in attendance, and their interest in
the proceedings never Jagged for mo-
mertr The defense subjected the medical
expert on examination to a severe cross
questioning. and succeeded to IN appre'
ciable extent in discrediting his testimony.
The first witness called was
MRS. GARDNER.
resided about 200 feet from Mrs. Nc.
Wha's home; have been living there about
fifteen years WAS well acquainted with
Mrs McWha and Mrs. Baker; did not see
them on Monday, May 9th; their wash day
WAS Monday; saw their washing put out
it was hanging on the line by noon; the
stable; Mrs. Baker had been doing the
washing of late; saw the clothes still
hanging on the liur late in the evening; u
storm came up between four and five
o'clock: was coming down from Browns
store when the storm came up; | came
right past the McWha house; did not zee
any one about their premises; got back
about ten minutes after four, the first thing
did was togo ont and bring in the clothes
and get up the chickens; Mrs Baker had
never been accustomed to leaving the
clothes out over night; when washed foI
her | always took them in myself the
clothes were still on the line Tuesday
morning; they had small chickens
about the yard; the little chickens
were kept in coop; saw
them running about the time Of the
storm; Mrs. Baker WAS very careful abont
everything; have seen her care for the
chickens; did not see anyone feed them
that evening; saw them the next morning
running about on the common; she always
housed them late in the evening, between
six and seven o'clock; saw the gate by the
coal house open ~ late n dark; they were
accustomed tO keep their gates closed; the
common was open 10 the public; saw the
same gate open the same way about six
o'clock the next morning; did not notice
any person about the Baker house after the
rain was not over there on Monday at all
we got water there frequently; the pump
stood near the kitchen door; they usually
kept their tubs in the cellar; the windows
of the kitchen had no outside shutters
they had curtains over the upper part; they
reached down about middle WAYS of the
window; never saw any covering or blind
over the lower part of the windows; ] was
not in the kitchen on Tuesday; did not see
the kitchen windows; | went in there
Tuesday; went intolthe hall first, then into
the sitting room saw the bodies on the floor
/ remained there about ten minutes or 10.
The witness described the position OF the
bodies Oh the floor and their appearance.
| was in there afterwards before the funeral
saw the blood on the kitchen ilOoor; the
lower parts of the kitchen windows were
covered with paper and pieces Of oil cloth.
Cross examination-Mosta always saw one
of them when went over there after water
have five children; they frequently were
over there; have seen Baker doing little
chores about the house; the back yard j.
rather shady; the kitchen windows attract
ed my attention when saw them; the water
runs of the house through spout into tbf
cistern; do not know Of any way for
water to run intO the cistern il the lid u
not taken of; the well il about eight feet
from the cistern; Mr.. Baker and the rest oi
the family seemed TO get along very well
Htth btSSi IuTt ~
the murder; he returned from the West
sometime in the last Of April.
DIR. MOKRIs
WAS the next witness. live at Holiday
Cove; have been practicing medicine thirty
five years; have known Mn. AcWha and
Mrs. Baker tor fourteen years; was called
to her house On the 10th Of May last; 90,
there about o'clock in the afternoon.
examined the bodies Of the murdered
women; commenced the examination
about 3 o'clock; foapd Mrs McWha and
Mrs Baker lying on the floor; the room
was dark; fouDd no wounds NOON their
bodies or limb; tOnched their heads and
found little cDagnlated blood; removed
the caps aud saw the wounds on their
heads; found wound on the muscle oi
the neck made by q blunt
instrument The clothing and impIe'
ments Of the murder were here produced
The witness identified the bolt; the bruise
on the neck corresponded with the bolt
the wound was about midway the
sterno- -mast0id muscle; there were three
wounds Just back OF the external ear; the
holt ct all three; the wound on the neck
and on the head were simple abrasions oi
the skin. / found another wound ON The
left temporal bone; it crushed through the
muscle e.IttiDp off the TEMPORAL artery